Saturday, August 02, 2014

Janis Ian's Folk Is The New Black

This remains my favorite disc from the Cowboy Junkies.
Margo Timmins voice is angelically haunting. The band’s subdued take on
the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” remains the best version not sung
by Lou Reed. Two other songs—the band-composed “Misguided Angel” and
James Gordon’s heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of gold mining in
South Africa, “Mining for Gold,” take the listener’s breath away. Hank
Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and a remake of “Blue Moon”
redefine country music , keeping the honky-tonk while cloaking it in a
dreamy sound from another dimension where the whippoorwill’s cries are
the universal language.

Novelist Richard Powers published a book titled Orfeo in
the past year. The novel is the story of a retired, slightly eccentric,
music professor who has taken up biogenetic research in his waning
years. During a visit from the local police regarding his dog, an
officer notices the professor’s laboratory and reports its existence to
the department of Homeland Security. The professor goes on the run—just
because. What follows is a tale of the chase and a series of
reflections about life in the new post-911 world, marriage and love, and
music. This quartet by Messaien has fascinated me since I first heard
when I was in junior high. Powers’ musing on its creation and its
meaning are the best segment of his novel. Nothing written or said
describes and creates the imagined end of time like this piece.
Nothing.

Ron Jacobs’ book on the Seventies, Daydream Sunset, will published by CounterPunch this summer.

I almost ignored them. I'm getting real sick of the rank sexism at CounterPunch.

But I'll note them for Ron Jacobs' choices.

The Trinity Sessions is an amazing album; however, if you're a fan of the Cowboy Junkies, the album to have is at the end of paths taken. That album is the group at the height of their power and "Spiral Down" -- "Spiral Down" is probably the best track the group's ever done.

I don't believe she's released another studio album, I think Folk Is The New Black was her most recent.

I hope there are more albums in her future but if she did decide to go out, Folk Is The New Black would be the one to go out on. Few artists ever have such confidence and mastery of their talents at any point in their career so it's something really amazing to see Janis, at this stage in her career, find additional levels.

Additional levels include humor.

I often worry that Janis and Carly Simon are punished for their joy and humor by some critics.

The trade off, of course, is that their fan base gets it, loves it and loves them for it.

Joy and humor make up the title track which argues that, in desperate times, folk ("cheaper than crack") becomes the new trend. The same feelings can be found in "Joy" and "Crocodile Song."

She also digs deep into serious topics on "The Great Danger" and "Life Is Never Wrong."

An argument can be made that one of her most beautiful songs ever might have been "Haven't I Got Eyes."

It is an amazing song and one that any songwriter would probably want in his or her canon.

But the song is easy to overlook due to "All Those Promises."

If you asked me what the ten best songs of the '00s were, I would tell you "All Those Promises" was on the list.

I don't need to know her name
It's enough for me to know she is
I know she is not to blame
Did you tell her you were free
after all you said to me?

And all those promises
that you made and left behind
were filled with emptiness
You were never really mine
Every sweet caress
was just your second best
Broken promises

That song is richly textured in lyrics written and, most of all, in lyrics sung. It could even be Janis Ian's finest vocal ever.

If you've ever been a fan of Janis' work (which includes "Society Child" and "At Seventeen"), Folk Is The New Black is an album that will delight you.

Mosul, the cradle of Christianity in Iraq since the first centuries,
is now purged of its entire Christian population. The ruthless and
purposeful savagery of the attacks by the fundamentalist Muslim
terrorist organization The Islamic State (IS) formerly known as Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is truly inconceivable. Yet, most world
leaders remain silent in the face of the murder of innocent children and
horrific beheadings of civilians. We question why the media has not
highlighted the unprecedented systematic eradication of the city’s
entire Christian population. We also question why the Australian
government have yet to comment and condemn this gross deprivation of
human rights.

There is only silence.

Silence,
that sends a resounding message of indifference to the murders of
innocent lives at the hands of extremist Muslim groups. Silence, which
attributes lesser value to the lives of Christians in the Middle East.
Silence, that surrenders to the power of radicalism and the inhumane
brutality of groups such as IS.

The silence has included the White House which waited until yesterday to have an official meet with representatives of Iraqi Christians.

We've been noting the White House needed to get active for some time.

Now it's becoming an issue with US House Rep Trent Franks releasing the following statement.

For those who are not helped by streaming video, here's the transcript of what's being said.

US House Rep Trent Franks: Mr. President, last month, 55 colleagues
of mine and myself sent you and Secretary Kerry a letter asking that you
actively prioritize security and humanitarian support for the Christian
community in Iraq. We specifically warned you of the dangers and
brutality of the terrorist group ISIS who are now rampaging across Iraq
and terrorizing the vulnerable Christian population. In the letter, we
specifically pointed out that "parts of Syria and Iraq that have
previously fallen under the rule of ISIS have witnessed summary
executions, beheadings and even crucifixions." And that "absent
immediate action, we will most certainly witness an annihilation of a
faith community from the lands they've inhabited for centuries."
Tragically, Mr. President, you simply ignored us again -- as you've
done so many times before. And now ISIS, the group you once likened to a
junior varsity basketball team, is beheading its way across Iraq and
has declared that there will be "nothing for the Christians but the
sword" if they do not convert. Mr. President, last week, ISIS torched
an 1800-year-old church in Mosul and deliberately and insidiously
destroyed the historic tomb of Jonah. Last Sunday, for the first time
in 1600 years, there was no mass in Mosul. The head of Iraq's Christian
community said, "For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is
now empty of Christians." And now images of ISIS' beheadings,
crucifixions, rape, torture and mass execution are all over the internet
and social media. Just yesterday, I met with a group of NGOs based in
Iraq who told me that ISIS recently beheaded 6 Christians and then
proceeded to play soccer with their decapitated heads. Mr. President,
ISIS's targeting of Christians has been systematic and horrifying and
Iraq's Christians in the area are now nearly extinct. It can rightly be
called "targeted religious cleansing." And, sir, it is a crime against
humanity. And yet, Mr. President, we have not heard a single word from
you -- even as a literal Christian genocide is taking place at this
very moment, you have not uttered even one syllable about what your
administration is doing or planning to do to relieve or protect these
persecuted Christians in Iraq. So now speaking with you and pleading
with you directly, sir, I once again repeat the words we wrote in our
letter to you a month ago: "We urge you and your administration to
urgently and actively engage with the Iraqi central government and the
Kurdistan Regional Government to prioritize additional security support
for these particularly vulnerable populations and provide emergency
humanitarian assistance to those effected communities. Absent immediate
action, we will most certainly witness the annihilation of ancient
faith community from the lands they've inhabited for centuries. Mr.
President, if you continue to ignore this Christian genocide in Iraq,
history will record that it was you who idly stood on the sidelines and
knowingly let it happen.

We have repeatedly noted the perception issue.

Maybe we should have spelled it out for the hard headed ones in denial?

Barack can't lose religious support in the US and have any chance of accomplishing anything in his second term.

He's had a religious problem throughout his national career.

He claimed Jeremiah Wright as an inspiration. Then when Wright's
sermons got a little bit of examination, Barack began to walk away and
he (and Michelle) flat out attacked Wright on national television in
response to Wright's remarks that Barack was just a typical politician.

Prior to Wright, Barack appears to have had no real encounters with a church.

Certainly, after becoming President, he failed to attend a church regularly.

Some of Barack's supporters state and write publicly that Barack doesn't really believe in God.

If that's true, there's nothing wrong with that. Unless, of course, you
go around insisting you do believe and you are a Christian.

Barack already has one religious problem -- what's going on in Gaza and
how to respond without antagonizing certain elements of the US
electorate. He has another emerging religious problem that no one wants
to talk about or acknowledge.

Barack is the deporter in chief. That is registering in Catholic
communities -- both due to the fact that a large number of Latinos and
Latinas deported are Catholic and also because the Catholic faith has
always had a strong activist wing. Barack is taking a hit there.

And now he's unable to decry the persecution of Christians.

He has stated he is a Christian, he has stated he was baptized and much more.

His failure to provide leadership on this issue hurts him.

Christians who care deeply about this issue, for example, are left to
wonder if Barack lied about his own faith? Or if he just doesn't care
about what happens to Iraqi Christians?

That's the thing about silence -- if you create it or foster it, others
will rush in to fill the silence with something, anything.

And not everyone's been silent in the US. Members of Congress have
spoken out. In fact, Tuesday, US House Rep Anna Eshoo's office issued
the following.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) released the
following statement after the House and Senate passed her bipartisan
legislation to create a special envoy at the State Department to focus
on the plight of religious minorities in the Middle East and South
Central Asia. Co-sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), the bill now
awaits the President’s signature.

“Today the world is bearing
witness to the persecution and eradication of religious minorities in
some of the most imperiled regions on earth,” said Eshoo. “Christians in
the Middle East and South Central Asia are being tortured, killed and
live in fear simply because of their religion. The stories are
countless, and the response has been meager.”

“With enactment
of this legislation, America is appropriately stepping up its response
and will be more capable in providing aid to religious minorities. A
special envoy at the State Department will focus on the freedom and
survival of religious minorities. Time is running out and this critical
problem deserves to be treated as a high priority,” Eshoo concluded.

While some emphasize the silence, others play the numbers in their own coverage. Gwynee Dyer (London Free Press) explains, "There were still about 60,000 Christians in Mosul when the United States
and its sidekicks invaded Iraq 11 years ago. By last year, it was down
to 30,000. Only two months after the arrival of the ISIS extremists,
there are none. Most have fled to Kurdistan with nothing more than the
clothes on their backs. They are not going back, and if they can they
will leave the Middle East entirely." All Christians have not left Mosul.

We've noted that a number have had no choice but to remain and are in hiding.

I've also a missed a point of the hiding in plain sight. My apologies for that. Voice of the Martyrs explains, "There is
another group of Christians in northern Iraq too: those that were born
into Muslim families but have consciously made the choice to reject
Islam and follow Jesus. It is important to understand that these
believers do NOT have a choice to pay a tax and save their lives. These
converts are, in the eyes of IS, apostates. If IS fighters learned of
their faith, they would give these believers two choices: return to
Islam or be killed."

For the past two months, the Register has brought you the stories of the Iraqi Christians’ desperate condition at the hands of the militants of the Islamic State. They are a sea of refugees robbed of everything,
begging the world to let them survive. They haven’t just lost their
property and homes — they have been robbed of their identity, their
culture, and their history. He goes on to note the August 6th Global Day of Prayer for Peace in Iraq and that's a good time for us to note Aid to the Church in Need's announcement on the Global Day of Prayer for Peace:

Aug. 6, 2014--Feast of the Transfiguration

“Please stop, I ask you with all my heart, it’s time to stop. Stop,
please.” Inspired by these words of Pope Francis (June 27, 2014), the
international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need, united
with His Beatitude Louis Rafael Sako, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of
Iraq, appeals to all persons of good will to join in a Global Day of
Prayer for Peace to be held on August 6, 2014—the Feast of the
Transfiguration.

The
feast of Transfiguration marks the moment when Jesus, on Mount Tabor,
appears to three of his disciples in a state of glory, shortly before
His ultimate trial on Calvary. This feast holds out a sign of hope for
humanity: it is a source of courage when obstacles appear impossible to
surmount; a sign that light is stronger than darkness; and testimony
that death can turn into life.

Meant to be observed in churches
and homes across the country, this Global Day of Prayer in the midst of
so much suffering in Iraq—particularly for the ancient Christian
community of Mosul—tells the world at large that US Christians have not
forgotten and abandoned their suffering brothers and sisters.Patriarch Sako has personally composed the Prayer for Peace:

Lord,The plight of our countryis deep and the suffering of Christiansis severe and frightening.Therefore, we ask you Lordto spare our lives, and to grant us patience, and courage to continue our witness of Christian valueswith trust and hope.Lord, peace is the foundation of life;Grant us the peace and stability that will enable usto live with each other without fear and anxiety,and with dignity and joy.

Glory be to you forever.

The
Patriarch also said: “Let us unite our voices and hearts before the
Lord of peace. May the light of Tabor fill the hearts of all suffering
people with consolation and hope. May the message of Tabor, through our
prayers, inspire the leaders of Iraq to sacrifice personal interests for
the common good and welfare.”

Meanwhile, Professor Margaret Blunden takes issue with the Financial Times of London's editorial "Christians at the mercy of jihadis"
feeling that they have slighted the Kurdish Regional Government -- "a
refuge for some 10,000 Iraqi Christian families escaping violence." On
that topic, All Iraq News notes KRG President Massoud Barzani declared today that the Kurdistan Region was the host to over 1.2 million refugees.

And, no, that's not the biggest rumor. Friday's biggest rumor was that
Ahmed Chalabi would be Iraq's next prime minister. True or false, it's
all over Arabic social media. What is known is that Nouri's being
called out by. Raheem Salmam (Reuters) reports:

Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki and his security officials are to blame for the rise of
Sunni Muslim insurgents who have seized parts of Iraq, the country's
foreign minister said.The comments by
Hoshiyar Zebari, a Kurd, are likely to worsen relations between Maliki's
Shi'ite Muslim-led government and the Kurds, complicating efforts to
form a power-sharing government capable of countering Islamic State
militants.

Baghdad, 1 August 2014 – According to casualty figures released
today by UNAMI, a total of at least 1,737 Iraqis were killed and another
1,978 were injured in acts of terrorism and violence in July*.

The number of civilians killed was 1,186 (including 106
civilian police), while the number of civilians injured was 1,511
(including 177 civilian police). A further 551 members of the Iraqi
Security Forces, including Peshmerga and SWAT, were killed and 467 were
injured (not including casualties from Anbar operation). "I am
concerned about the rising number of casualties in Iraq, particularly
among the civilian population. Children and women are most vulnerable.
All sides should ensure that civilians are protected and that
international humanitarian law is respected”, the Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Nickolay
Mladenov said. “Despite the continuing fighting, politicians
have shown that they can work together in choosing the new President and
the new Speaker of the Council of Representative. It is time that they
move forward on the creation of a new government that can address the
root causes of violence in Iraq and ensure equitable development for all
communities”, Mr. Mladenov added. Anbar excluded, Baghdad was
the worst affected Governorate with 1,035 civilian casualties (415
killed, 620 injured), followed by Salahadin (305 killed, 289 injured),
Ninewa (209 killed, 270 injured), Kirkuk (68 killed, 127 injured), Babil
(77 killed, 72 injured) and Diyala (71 killed, 66 injured). *CAVEATS:
Data do not take into account casualties of the current IA operation in
Anbar, for which we report at the bottom the figures received by our
sources. Incidents UNAMI recorded a minimum 400 security
incidents in different parts of Iraq. Among these incidents, are
included 62 incidents by air attack caused a minimum of 823 casualties
killed and injured. 30 incidents caused by vehicle borne improvised
explosive devices (VBIED) and suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive
devices (SVBIED), which caused a minimum of 535 casualties killed and
injured. 78 incidents using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) caused a
minimum of 322 civilian casualties killed and injured. 67 incidents
with small arms fire (SAF) caused a minimum of 141 casualties killed and
injured. Operations in Anbar Due to official holidays of
Eid-ul-Fitr, UNAMI was not able to obtain casualty figures from Ramadi
and other areas of Anbar. UNAMI was only able to obtain the figures for
Fallujah from the General Hospital of Fallujah; the total civilian
casualties in Fallujah up to 30 July inclusive were 132 killed and 421
injured. UNAMI will publish the figures for Ramadi as soon as they are
available.

Kurdish Region
stands out for the relative calm it offers to Assyrian, Arab and Kurdish
Christians.